SakkieFTW – Wasteland

SakkieFTW is the solo project of Vancouver-based artist/producer known for crafting EDM/dubstep music. He debuted his Experiment 1.3.2 EP alongside two music videos, “Spiral” and “Experiment 1.3.2” gaining wide acclaim in the Vancouver electronic scene.

When the music video for “Spiral” ft. Kaeli McArter came out back in April of this year, we were immediately induced to the spiraling hot messery of a drug addict who went on a pill-pickup frenzy. The sputtering thumps and minor lyrics were reminiscent of pristine dubstep, unlike the current pop-influenced trendsetters.

Alongside “Spiral,” SakkieFTW released an animation video for his single “Experiemnt 1.3.2.” – delivering the same infectious banging throbs:

In his new EP, Wasteland, SakkieFTW crafts a symbiotic sonic ecosystem where EDM, dubstep, and rap can overlap to create mind-expanding beats. The opener, “Wasteland,” transmits the same rush one would get soaked in an EDM fest – the splicing raps, computerized blasts, and swift tempo make “Wasteland” a pupil-dilating experience where one almost loses track of time. From beginning to end, “Wasteland” is filled with furious rapping and outbursts that injects you with instant thrills.

The tune cools down in “Seraph” where SakkieFTW actually takes time to pile up the adrenaline ball before he rolls it through your eardrums. There are longer motoric instances imbued in the cadence and while the beats do reach their dubstep zenith, the buildup can feel a bit too much. It is still curated to keep your mood fist-pumping and although the zeal may be a little lacking in the beginning, it exits with the same fiery flair.

While Sakkie FTW placed the instrumental version of “Wasteland” as the final song, the track preceding it – “Al Vision Quest” – feels more like the conclusive one. This is a more laid-back affair where the grand-sized booms from “Wasteland” are replaced with semi psychedelic momentums. The intensity does not decay, but there is a flow to it that nods more towards a meditative-friendly dubstep. While it still maintains the exhilaration, “Al Vision Quest” gives a moderate dose of thumping collisions.

In Wasteland, we find a SakkieFTW who ping-pongs between genres and manages to dabble with the type of dubstep you’ll hear in underground rages. He manages to bring sonic order into chaos and does not slip off to the pitfall of overly-colliding rhythms that many dubstep artists fall into. Despite the explosive beats, SakkieFTW’s works have structure in them and as a result, they don’t feel cluttered.